4 Healthcare Stock Stories Prescribed to Investors

The firm has removed a remaining threat to its top-selling cholesterol drug Crestor, by resolving an United States legal case with the generic companies Watson Laboratories, a division of Actavis, and Egis. The settlement comes after a decision by an appeals court ruling in December involving other firms that uphald the patent on the medicine, upon which AstraZeneca is relying as sales of other products slide. On Monday, AstraZeneca said that Watson and Egis had both admitted that the Crestor substance patent was valid under the latest deal.

On Monday, Vanguard reported that its subsidiary, VHS Phoenix Health Plan, received a letter from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System on Friday, advising the company that it was not awarded an acute care program contract for the program year starting October 1, 2013. Under its current contract with the System, which expires on September 30, 2013, PHP covers members in nine Arizona counties, and has served Arizona residents since 1983.

The firm announced Monday that it has received a second complete response letter from the FDA declining to approve its new drug application for treprostinil diolamine extended release tablets (oral treprostinil) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Chairman and Chief Executive Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D. commented that “We remain confident that oral treprostinil will play an important role in treating PAH and we are committed to working collaboratively with the FDA to accomplish this goal in the most timely and appropriate manner.”

The company reported Monday that it has won regulatory approval of its Niobe remote magnetic tech for cardiac ablations in Japan, marking a crucial step in securing full market entry into that country. This approval permits Stereotaxis to begin marketing endeavors, including the establishment of a local business infrastructure with in-country distributors, while working on gaining reimbursement approval for full market entry, or the ability to start sales. Reimbursement approval is expected by the end of this year.